Hauptinhalt

Franco-German meeting in Strasbourg

Minister of State Michael Georg Link, Commissioner for Franco-German Cooperation, and Bernard Cazeneuve, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs, met in the European city of Strasbourg on 7 December.

InStrasbourg, Link and Cazeneuve talked aboutFranceandGermany’s successful cooperation at the regional level – one example of this being the transborder Strasbourg/Ortenau Eurodistrict. Link and Cazeneuve agreed that deciding to keep the Consulate-General inStrasbourgopen was an important means of maintaining a presence in a region engaged in such dynamic transborder cooperation and of offering essential services to its citizens.

Regional cooperation

Moreover, the German Commissioner for Franco-German Cooperation and the French Minister Delegate for European Affairs signed the Golden Book of the city ofStrasbourgand had lunch with prominent politicians from the Franco‑German border region. Discussions focused on the achievements, difficulties and prospects of transborder cooperation between French and German neighbouring regions.

The Golden Book of the city of Strasbourg, on the page commemorating the visit by Link and Cazeneuve

The 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty will be marked on22 January 2013, Franco-German Day. InStrasbourg, Link and Cazeneuve also talked about preparations for the festivities. The Élysée Treaty played a decisive role in shaping Franco-German relations after the end of World War II. Several commemorative events have already been held since September. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius met inBonnon 5 September, for example. The major celebrations will take place inBerlinon22 January 2013.

The next meeting of the two Commissioners for Franco-German relations will be held in Paris on 18 December. The two Ministers will jointly attend a meeting of the Assemblée nationale. Bernard Cazeneuve will pay a return visit to the Bundestag in Berlin in mid-January.